Her mother’s words made Caro regret her harshness. She knew Mama was sincere in wishing to see Caro settled. It wasn’t Lady Lavinia’s fault that Val had a cruel sense of humor where she was concerned. No doubt her fractiousness at Effie’s house had inspired his little joke. But the damage had been done now and no amount of arguing would convince her mother that he wasn’t dangling after her.
“I apologize, Mama,” she said, patting her mother’s hand. “I know you mean well. But I want the kind of love you and Papa have. And I won’t find that with one of the pampered aristocrats who look down their noses at Papa.”
It was the first time she’d confessed this wish to either of her parents. As a debutante, Caro had been so frustrated with her mama’s insistence on securing the most impressive match possible that she’d never bothered to explain why she was so against the idea. She’d been so successful in her efforts at thwarting Mama’s matchmaking, in fact, that for the year before they’d left for the Continent, Mama had stopped trying to marry her off altogether.
But once they’d returned, her none-too-subtle hints had resumed.
Val’s invitation couldn’t have come at a worse time.
As if sensing her discomfort, Ludwig leapt down from his window seat and stretched his feline body in his customary gesture that meant he wished to cuddle. Moving to the chair opposite her mother’s, Caro sat down and allowed the cat to jump into her lap. Resisting the urge to hug him against her chest, she ran a hand down his sleek coat as he settled, and let the rumble of his purr soothe her.
“You mustn’t be too hard on the nobility,” her mother said with a gentleness Caro was unaccustomed to hearing from her. “They do work in their own way. At least the honorable among them. And those who don’t would never pass muster with your father. I simply want you to rise as high as you can. Not only because I will be assured you’re taken care of, but also because I know it would assuage some of your father’s fears.”
Caro frowned, startled at the openness in her mother’s voice. “What do you mean? Is he afraid I’ll never marry, too?” It had been her own choice not to marry, and she’d thought her parents understood. It was one matter for society to think she was incapable of making an acceptable match, but the thought that both her parents believed her too disagreeable to tempt anyone to the altar was just too much to bear.
“Not that,” Mama said softly. “He is perfectly content for you to remain independent for the rest of your life. Indeed, since you will inherit everything in due time, he would like to discuss more managerial aspects of the business with you. It’s only because of me that he stopped when we returned from the Continent.”
Caro gasped. Her father’s silence on business matters these past months had stung, but the knowledge he hadn’t stopped out of his own doubts with her came as a relief.
She had always assumed her father would simply arrange for everything to be managed in a trust by his man of business. Though she knew he valued her intelligence, it had never occurred to her that he would wish for her to have a hand in the day-to-day operations of Hardcastle Fine Foods. She was touched. And more than a little concerned. She wasn’t sure that she would ever be ready to take on such a monumental endeavor on her own.
“But why did you ask him to stop?” she asked. If her mother wished for her to be kept away from business matters, then Caro deserved to know why.
“Because I could see that as much as he enjoyed your talks, they raised fears that weighed heavily on him.”
Caro’s heart clenched at her mother’s tone.
“He would not like me sharing this,” Mama said, her eyes troubled, “but he’s had it in his mind that in spite of his money, his upbringing will be a detriment when it comes to finding a husband worthy of you. And the more he’s shared with you and realized how clever you are, the more…fearful he’s become. He wants more than anything for you to be happy. And to his mind, that means securing a husband who won’t hold your father’s lack of a pedigree against you.”
“Why would he think that?” Caro asked, aghast. The very idea that her papa would question his own worth in such a manner crushed her heart. He might have a reputation for ruthlessness in business, but he was the kindest, gentlest of men when it came to his family. “Any man would be lucky to have him for a father-in-law. And anyone who turned their nose up at him wouldn’t be someone I’d want to marry.”
Unbidden, she remembered the way Val had stood by while his brother cast aspersions on both her parents. Yet another reason to wish him to the devil for his foolish invitation. He might not say such snobbery aloud, but if he exposed them to so much as a blink of derision, Caro would flay him alive.
“He’s always had it in his head that if not for him, I could have married royalty—and the same for you if you wished,” Mama said fondly. “It’s silly, of course. Royals marry other royals for one thing, but also he reckoned without the reality of you, Caroline. You have always done as you please and you’ve never given a fig for social standing.”
“So you believe if I were to marry someone like Lord Wrackham, for example, Papa would be able to forgive himself for taking you away from your place in society?” Her mother’s logic made an odd sort of sense, though Caro was sure her father would never wish for her to decide upon a husband based on his own insecurities. It wasn’t his way to impose his fears on the ones he loved.
“I do,” Mama said. “Though he would be quite angry if he knew I’d told you any of this. He’s a proud man, your father. I simply wished to explain why I suppose I seem inexplicably eager to marry you off to someone of high rank. But ultimately, I want you to marry someone who cherishes you.”
Touched by her mother’s words, Caro hugged her impulsively. When Mama pulled away, she was dabbing at a suspicious brightness in her eyes.
“If this wonderful man,” she said with a pointed look, “happens to also be the handsome heir to a dukedom who is kind enough to invite us to the theatre in his family’s private box, well, so much the better!”
Caro laughed out loud at her mother’s declaration. Really, she was shameless.
But it was impossible for Caro to let her go on thinking this invitation had to do with tender feelings on Val’s part. “Mama, about tonight. Lord Wrackham’s invitation is—”
“No.” Mama rose from the settee. “I will not let you spoil my pleasure in this, Caroline. Whatever you might suspect is the reason behind the viscount’s invitation, you will keep it to yourself until tomorrow. Tonight, we will dress in our finest gowns and Papa in his finest evening suit, and we will go enjoy sitting in a duke’s private box.”
Recognizing that even if she were to explain the real reason for tonight’s trip to the Lyceum her mother would quite likely still romanticize Val’s motive for inviting them, Caro decided to give up. Besides, a glance at the clock reminded her that she needed to bathe and dress.
She intended to greet him looking her best, even if her reasons had more to do with making Val squirm than pleasing him.
“I’ll send Talbot in to assist with your hair,” her mother said before hurrying off to see to her own toilette.